Hyuga Clan Compound, Main House Archives.
"Found it! I found it!" a main house elder excitedly held up an ancient tome.
The surrounding elders, also sifting through piles of books, all turned their gazes towards him.
"It's just as I thought. In ages long past, our clan's name was not Hyuga, but Otsutsuki," the elder announced, reading from the ancient text.
"Elder Sosho, please be clearer," Hiashi Hyuga urged, the other elders equally tense. Since the Warring States period, the Hyuga clan's Byakugan had always been considered weaker than the Uchiha clan's Mangekyo Sharingan. Now, they finally saw a glimmer of hope that the Byakugan could rival the Mangekyo. The excitement in their hearts was likely unimaginable to anyone else.
"At that time, the Otsutsuki clan—that is, our Hyuga clan—had no concept of a main house and branch houses. To suppress a certain demonic beast plaguing the world, the entire clan relocated to the moon. And our lineage—"
Elder Sosho looked up at the others. "Strictly speaking, we are a branch of that clan."
"Meaning, the one who fought Uchiha Sasuke to a standstill is very likely from that lunar lineage," another elder mused, stroking his beard.
"There's one thing I don't understand. Why would the lunar lineage, which hasn't shown itself for a thousand years, reappear at this particular time?"
"Isn't their duty to suppress that world-plaguing demonic beast?"
The elders immediately launched into a discussion.
"None of that is important," Hiashi Hyuga interrupted their debate. "Why is the Byakugan of the lunar lineage so strong? What exactly went wrong with our Hyuga clan's Byakugan?"
He knew that even he—the strongest of the Hyuga clan—wasn't confident he could fight the current Uchiha Sasuke to a draw.
The elders looked at each other, momentarily unsure how to answer.
"Continue searching the ancient texts! I need to know the reason for all of this!"
...
"So, you also have no way to pinpoint Otsutsuki Urashiki's location?" Naruto sighed. The feeling of being in the dark while the enemy lurked unseen was truly unpleasant.
Future Sasuke nodded.
"Is there any way to lure him out? I can be the bait," Naruto asked. Facing a clan comparable to gods, one that used entire planets as nurseries, anyone would feel the pressure.
"We can try. After all, Otsutsuki Urashiki doesn't know your true strength," Future Sasuke nodded slightly. This was also his plan, but suggesting someone else be bait felt somewhat inappropriate coming from him. "The only problem is, how do we let Urashiki know you're in Konoha?"
The two looked at each other, then their gazes simultaneously fell upon the little guy.
"Hah! Hah!" Boruto, dual-wielding practice swords, repeatedly slashed the air in front of him. Feeling their gazes, his body instinctively shivered. "What do you guys want?"
"Boruto, interested in becoming Konoha's star of hope?" Naruto suddenly asked.
Boruto: "???"
...
Takigakure, the Village Hidden by a Waterfall.
A hidden village concealed by a massive waterfall. Though surrounded by four countries, its unique geographical location had kept Takigakure from ever being invaded.
Rumble~
Vast amounts of water cascaded down, creating a pervasive mist. Under the sunlight, a seven-colored rainbow arched across the sky. Below, a youth with a refined demeanor gazed up at the picturesque scene.
"Leader." A Taki ninja appeared behind him. "Jonin Suien is trying to approach that place again."
"...I understand." Shibuki nodded slightly. "Thank you for your hard work."
"Leader," the Taki ninja hesitated, "although Jonin Suien was once your ninjutsu instructor, that place is, after all, Takigakure's forbidden ground."
"Don't worry, I'll handle it," Shibuki assured him, withdrawing his gaze from the beautiful sky. "Where's Fu?"
"Practicing ninjutsu at the training grounds."
Boom!
Suddenly, a violent explosion echoed from the distance.
"That's the direction of the training grounds?!"
The expressions of both men changed, and they hurriedly rushed towards the sound of the explosion.
Fu stared grimly at the enemy who had suddenly appeared mid-air and attacked her.
"Enter your Tailed Beast form! He's strong!" Chomei, the Seven-Tails, voiced in her mind.
"Roger!" Fu smiled faintly. Two pairs of beautiful butterfly wings appeared on her lower back, and her hands quickly formed seals. "Secret Technique: Blinding Scale Powder!"
A large cloud of pale yellow scale powder spewed from her mouth.
"Interesting jutsu," Otsutsuki Urashiki remarked from mid-air, watching with curiosity.
After a few breaths, the scale powder suddenly erupted in a brilliant white light.
"Hehe, now it's my home ground!" Fu's body began to be enveloped in dark red Tailed Beast chakra. Her figure dipped slightly, preparing to attack.
Swish!
A red, glowing fishing line pierced through the blinding light at terrifying speed. Before she could react, she was tightly bound by the red line, unable to move.
"What kind of ninjutsu is this?" Fu, partially transformed, looked down at the red fishing line wrapped around her, her face ugly. This thin line, which looked like it could be snapped with a little effort, was far tougher than she had imagined. No matter how she racked her brains or what techniques she used, she couldn't break it.
"Fu, fully transform! Now!" Shibuki, who had just arrived, shouted upon seeing the scene.
"I want to!" Fu grit her silver teeth. If she could enter her full Tailed Beast form, she would have done so already. This red line seemed to possess some kind of sealing ability, severing her connection with Chomei.
"Farewell, everyone!" Otsutsuki Urashiki lightly reeled in his fishing rod. Fu, like a caught fish, was dangled half-suspended behind him. A spatial rift opened, and the two figures instantly vanished from the sight of the Taki ninja.
"What happened?"
"Sensei." Shibuki, seeing the middle-aged man beside him, seemed to have found his pillar of support and quickly recounted what had just transpired.
"What? Fu was captured?" Suien's face darkened. Misfortunes never come singly. His plan had yet to succeed, and now the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki had met with an accident. "Request aid from Konoha!"
This was the only solution he could think of, praying that Konoha's Fifth Hokage was truly as the rumors described. Takigakure was simply too weak. If the enemy could capture Fu so easily, there was no way they could contend with him.
...
In a natural cavern.
The unconscious Fu was suspended in mid-air. Otsutsuki Urashiki, his right hand enveloped in a layer of chakra, slowly reached towards her abdomen.
A bizarre scene unfolded. The moment his hand made contact, ripples spread across Fu's abdomen, and his pale hand slowly disappeared into her stomach.
Drip!
Gazing into the dark seal space, Otsutsuki Urashiki smiled faintly. Shouldering his fishing rod, he strode towards the behemoth not far away.
ROOOAR!
After a series of deafening, miserable shrieks.
Outside, Otsutsuki Urashiki opened his eyes and withdrew his hand. A mass of dark red chakra was held tightly in his grasp. "A portion of the God Tree's fruit chakra."
A glint of joy flashed in his eyes, and he squeezed his right hand forcefully. A dark red pill lay quietly in his palm.
"Gulp!" Without hesitation, he tilted his head back and swallowed the pill.
Thump!
The chakra within his body suddenly swelled severalfold. A long-absent feeling of fullness spread throughout his body. "A wonderful feeling."
Otsutsuki Urashiki's eyes had, at some point, transformed into Rinnegan with nine tomoe. He looked at the girl suspended in mid-air. "The remaining chakra... I can refine one more pill!"